Abstract

The vision of Viksit Bharat@2047 is frequently articulated in terms of economic growth, technological innovation, governance reforms, and global competitiveness. Yet, development as a civilizational project cannot be reduced to material indicators alone. This paper argues that culture must be understood not merely as heritage or identity, but as epistemology—a living system of knowing that shapes the ways a society interprets reality, produces meaning, and legitimizes knowledge. Indian culture, with its layered knowledge traditions and aesthetic systems, offers a unique framework for imagining development as an integrated model combining prosperity, ethical life, social cohesion, ecological balance, and spiritual well-being. Drawing upon theoretical insights from cultural studies, postcolonial thought, decolonial epistemology, and Indian aesthetic philosophy, the study explores how knowledge traditions (such as śruti-smṛti frameworks, oral literatures, darśanas, and craft epistemologies) and aesthetic systems (such as rasa, dhvani, alamkāra, and folk performative cultures) function as repositories of cognitive, ethical, and social intelligence. The paper critiques colonial modernity’s epistemic violence, which historically delegitimized indigenous systems, and examines how contemporary policy initiatives and cultural revivalism can either democratize knowledge or reproduce exclusionary cultural politics. Ultimately, the paper proposes that the realization of Viksit Bharat@2047 requires not only infrastructure and innovation but also epistemic sovereignty—the capacity of a nation to think through its own cultural intelligence while remaining dialogic and plural. Culture as epistemology becomes, therefore, a strategic and ethical foundation for sustainable development, inclusive citizenship, and human flourishing.